


Book, Line and Sinker

by TuppingLiberty



Series: Tupping Liberty's prompt ficlet series [4]
Category: Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens (2015)
Genre: M/M, avidreader!poe, librarian!finn
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-23
Updated: 2016-11-25
Packaged: 2018-07-16 20:39:13
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 8,922
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7283908
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TuppingLiberty/pseuds/TuppingLiberty
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Finn is proud to be his small town's sole librarian. He's carved out a niche for himself in Santa Patricia, and he's looking forward to a quiet Friday night. Too bad the latest book from his favorite author is still checked out by a certain Mr. Poe Dameron. What's a librarian to do?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Rescue Me

**Author's Note:**

> A friend on Facebook prompted me months ago with “ Modern AU - Finn just wants to read the newest shitty bestseller in a series and another person (Poe) WON’T return it even though it was due last week” and redlipstickandhairbows on tumblr asked for the librarian/avid reader AU.
> 
> So here are these two requests rolled into one! This one decided to take a turn on me! Idk. It started out as librarian/avid reader and morphed into something else.
> 
> Sticking to the meet-cute for now with the potential to come back for more, once I get some other stuff off my plate. (I have too many things to write, how awesome of a problem is that?)

To say books were his life was an understatement. Finn lived and breathed books - _literally_ , he thought with a smile.  The small, sleepy, coastal town of Santa Patricia, California, had one librarian for their even smaller library. And Finn had very proudly held that position for four years now. He’d worked hard to build up the programs he’d envisioned when he’d first walked into the historic Carnegie library building. He’d stood there, breathing in the smell of old paper and dust, and seen a million possibilities in his mind. Now, he had a thriving children’s hour, a fun summer reading program, and a fleet of the loveliest volunteers a librarian on a budget could ask for.

One of those lovely volunteers, Rey, smiled at him as he delivered an empty book cart back to the main desk. He propped his elbow up on the desk, sunk his head to his hand, and groaned. “I had to tell Em and Andrew to break it up again.”

“Aww, they’re cute. And they’re your first couple.”

“What they were doing with their mouths was not cute. And they’re not my couple. They met at the summer reading program when they were twelve. It’s not like I set them up.” Finn straightened. “Do me a favor?  In ten minutes would you casually walk by the 900s and see if they’re at it again? I don’t want to have to ban them from the library.”

Rey leaned over to pat Finn’s arm. “Of course, Finn.”  She began to stack new books on his book cart, and he sighed, feeling the itch for work to be over even though he loved his job. It was Friday, and he was looking forward to his Friday night; a fun-filled evening of putting his feet up, settling down with a glass of red, and reading the latest thriller from Janelle Donahue.

While Rey worked, Finn came around the corner to check the title. He’d been waiting for it to come back, but yesterday it should have been back, so surely by now- no. Finn rolled his eyes at the name Poe Dameron staring back at him, along with the red “overdue” notice.

“Rey, did you call about fines this morning?” An automated system was on Finn’s dream budget list - one he’d yet to get approved by the city council.

“Yeah, Iolo and I worked our way through the list.”

“Did either of you get ahold of this ‘Poe Dameron?’“ Rey laughed as Finn said Poe’s name suspiciously.

“Oh yeah, that was me. It went straight to voicemail so I left him a message. Don’t say ‘this’ like you don’t know that Poe Dameron is the cutie with the curly hair.”

“Hmmm.” Finn pressed his lips into a disapproving line. The look worked really well on most of his clientele, from toddlers to teens to soccer moms. No one wanted to disappoint Mr. Finn the Librarian.

Finn brought up Poe’s account info on the computer, and drew his eyebrows together. No late fees before. “Hmmm,” he hummed again, causing Rey to roll her eyes at him. He picked up the phone and called the number, and just like Rey had said, it went straight to voicemail. He frowned and left another message, then turned to Rey. “What if he’s, like, hurt or something?”

“Poe?”

“Yeah. I read about this pizza joint in Washington that called the authorities when a regular client stopped showing up and it turned out he needed medical help and they saved his life.”

Rey blinked at him.

“So really, it would be my civic duty, as a Santa Patrician, to go to this address and see if there’s someone who’s fallen and can’t get up.”

Rey smirked. “Sure, boss. Whatever you say.” She wheeled out the book cart to begin reshelving.

A few hours later, when Finn had done his final walkthrough and was preparing to shutdown his computer, he saw the tab still open on Poe Dameron’s account. Glancing around nervously - though he was the only one in the library - Finn copied the address information onto a sticky note, shoved it in his pocket, and locked up the library.

If something in Santa Patricia wasn’t within walking distance, then it was within biking distance, and such was the case for Poe Dameron’s address. He’d changed into the tight bike gear before leaving the library - he left the suit coat there, hanging nicely, and packed his clothes in a backpack every day. As he sped through the streets, he tried to convince himself he wasn’t overstepping his bounds.

It was an isolated beach front property, which made Finn raise his eyebrows, but the cottage was charming, not expansive. The second he entered the garden area, an orange and black cat popped up in front of him, rubbing through his legs and meowing insistently. The cat walked forward a few steps, then looked back plaintively at Finn and yowled. The message was clear - “Follow me.”

The cat led him to the front door, which was worryingly ajar. Finn pulled his cellphone out of the tight pocket built into his riding shorts, and dialed 911, but didn’t hit Send. “Hello? The front door was open...” The cat darted ahead into another room, then came back and blinked at Finn. Finn followed.

In the next room, Finn gasped. The cat was headbutting a prone figure on the floor that he recognized as Poe. Hastily he hit Send and walked over, praying to himself, ‘Oh god, please don’t let that be a dead body, I do not want that to be a dead body.’

“911, what is your emergency?”

“Um, I just came to a friend’s house and I found him lying on the floor, I think he’s unconscious, he may be dead.”

“Are you safe?”

“Um, I think so.”

“Okay, are you able to check if he’s breathing or if his heart is beating?”

“Yeah,” Finn breathed out. “Yeah, I can do that.”

As he knelt, the dispatcher gathered his name and the address information. Finn saw the gentle rise and fall of Poe’s chest. “He’s breathing.” Finn shook Poe’s shoulder. No response. “Poe? Poe Dameron?” The cat was continuing to headbutt the man’s head, and rub it’s scent along his body, meowing softly.

“Thank you, Finn. Help is on the way but I’d like you to stay on the line. Can you see anything that may have caused an injury?”

“No, he-” Finn ran a shaky hand over the Poe’s face. “He’s really hot, like he has a fever.”

As Finn began to brush away damp curls from the man’s forehead, his eyes fluttered. “Mr. Dameron? Poe?”

Poe opened his eyes fully, and Finn could see there was something not quite right about them, like maybe he was caught in delirium. “Am I dead?” Poe whispered.

Finn reached down to grip his hand. “No, and you’re not going to die on me now. You hear me?”

He smiled, his eyes still delirious. “Aye aye, captain.”

Finn heard the sirens approach, saw the flashing lights coming through the open front door.  He tried to back up as the EMTs rushed in, but Poe wouldn’t let go of his hand. He had a surprisingly tough grip for someone who was obviously very, very sick.

The EMTs began to check vitals and call out numbers to each other in what seemed like a blur to Finn. One of them pressed lightly on Poe’s stomach, and he moaned in pain, fingers digging into Finn’s palm. An EMT turned to Finn. “How long has he been like this?”

“I don’t know, he was-”

“Are you his boyfriend?”

“-supposed to return a book yesterday. No, I’m his librarian.”

A look of surprise washed over her face before she schooled it away. “It’s an infection of some kind, possibly appendix. We’re taking him in for surgery.”

“Okay. I - um.” Finn glanced down at his hand, currently tightly gripped in the man’s. The EMT glanced down too and grimaced.

“Sorry, if you want to follow, that’s fine, but we can’t take you with us.”

“Okay.” Finn leaned over, gently prying away the fingers. “Poe? You’re going to be okay, but I have to let go now.” Poe’s tear filled eyes looked into his, but he stoically nodded.

Finn watched as the ambulance drove away, thoughts warring inside him. He glanced around the door, and saw the Janelle Donahue book lying on a side table. He picked it up, and noticed a post-it tucked on the title page. It was a list, in Finn’s handwriting, of some of his favorite books. Finn’s brows drew together. He’d made the list for Rey a few weeks ago at her request. Why did Poe have it?

Finn closed the book, made sure the cat was inside, and closed the door. He didn’t know who to contact for Poe, but he knew that he couldn’t let him wake up in the hospital alone.

\----------------------------------

“Mr. Finn!” The nurse at the front station smiled warmly, and Finn recognized her as Sharon from the children’s hour. She had an adorable 4 year old girl who loved books about construction. “How can I help you?”

“I know that- I’m not family but-”

The nurse looked concerned. “Is someone you know in the hospital?”

“Yeah, he was brought in for surgery, I think? Poe Dameron. I...I found him.”

“Oh yes, they rushed him into surgery, which is about all I’m allowed to tell you. Do you know Poe?”

“No, just. Just met him today.”

“Oh, he’s such a nice man. I’m surprised you’ve never noticed him at the library.”

Finn thought about the post-it. “Me too, actually.”

“Well, hun, I can’t tell you much else, but you can watch his surgery progress on that screen over there.  And when he wakes up, if he puts you on his list of visitors, you can visit him. Okay?” She reached out to rub Finn’s arm.

Finn patted her hand and nodded. “Thanks, Sharon.”

Finn parked himself in front of the TV, where he quickly found “Poe Dameron - In Surgery.” He pulled out his phone and dialed.

“Go for Rey.”

“Rey, it’s Finn.”

“Hey, man.”

“Did you, um, did Poe Dameron ask you to ask me for a list of my favorite books?”

There was silence on the other line. “Look, I’m sorry if you’re upset. I was just trying to do a little summer matchmaking. You were being totally oblivious to the way he was looking at you, and he seemed too shy to approach you himself, I swear he started coming in on your off days just to avoid having to talk to you-”

“So he did, then. And when I headed over here tonight, you figured...”

“That maybe if you showed up at his doorstep, he’d realize he needed to say something, and it would give _you_ a chance to finally see how cute he is... And it doesn’t sound like that’s what happened, does it?”

“Not even remotely.”

“Oh, Finn, I’m sorry. Are you okay? Was he a jerk or something?”

Finn let out a short laugh. “I’m fine. But I’m in the hospital...” Finn leaned back in the uncomfortable chair and spilled the whole story as he watched the clock tick by.

\-----------------------

Poe’s status eventually changed to “recovery,” but it was awhile after that before Sharon came to collect him. “He said you’re welcome to come back, hero. Those were his words. He’s still pretty high from the drugs.”

It sent a mighty pang through Finn’s heart to see the man swallowed up by the hospital bed, looking pale and tired. He turned his head lazily to Finn and broke out in a big smile. “My angel!”

Sharon smothered a laugh in her hand before patting Finn on the shoulder and leaving them alone. “Uh, hi Poe.”

“I was _so_ out of it, but I remember you being there. You found me, right?” Poe eyes were over bright.

“Yeah, I found you. When you didn’t return your book and you weren’t answering calls, I got worried that you might be hurt...”

Poe raised a hand, covered in sensors and tubes, over his heart. Then his eyes narrowed. “You just wanted your book back, didn’t you.”

Finn grinned, sheepish. “I just wanted my book back.”

“I meant to bring it back but I was feeling sick so I thought I’d wait a day, come confess my sins to you, pay the fine.” Poe reached out a hand, and Finn took it. “Now I owe you the fine _and_ you saved my life. Basically I’m yours, Finn.”

“I didn’t save your life-”

Poe’s eyes got serious. “You did. My guardian angel.”

Finn looked away, embarrassed. He thought of the post it note. “How come you never talked to me before?”

“Because I’m a stupid idiot.” Poe laughed at his own words. “Because you seemed perfect and unapproachable and so, so cute.”

“Are you going to remember you said this to me when the drugs wear off?”

“Oh probably not.”

It was Finn’s turn to laugh as he rubbed along Poe’s knuckles. “Well, what if I want to remind you?”

“Do you have something to write with?

Finn leaned over to rustle through his riding bag, and Poe managed a whistle. “Do you know how amazing those riding shorts look on you?”

Finn smothered a laugh as he handed the post it note and a pen to Poe. Poe used the table in front of him to scribble something quickly, then handed it back to Finn. “Just show me that later.”

Finn looked down at the note. In sloppy handwriting, it read, ‘Finn, IOU one life debt, to be paid over one lifetime in dinners and hand holding and hopefully kisses? Poe’

“Well, I don’t think it will hold up in a court of law, what with your impairment. But-” Finn stood, leaning over Poe to brush a kiss across his forehead. “I look forward to our first dinner.”

Poe blinked, some color coming into his cheeks. “Me, too.” He brought Finn’s knuckles to his mouth clumsily, and placed a kiss there.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Finn goes to visit Poe during his recovery.

**** Contemplating the shelf, Finn hummed, then pulled a book and added it to the stack in his arms. Rey quirked an eyebrow when he got back to the desk and began checking the pile of books out under his own name.

“When are you going to find time to read all of that?” 

Finn’s cheeks got hot. “Oh, uh, it’s not for me. Poe’s getting out of the hospital today, but he’s still pretty much on bed rest. I thought he’d like something to do. Stop grinning at me like that.”

Rey finished the check-ins from the mid-morning rush they’d had with children’s hour. “I’m not saying anything.”

“You don’t need to say anything with that stupid grin on your face doing all the talking,” Finn muttered under his breath.

Rey elbowed him in the ribs as she walked by. “Don’t fuss, Finn. You’re an adult, he’s an adult. No one’s talking about you.”

Finn sighed. “Rey, in a town the size of Santa Patricia, you know that’s not true.”

Rey covered one of his hands with hers and squeezed. “I’m just saying, if everyone’s favorite librarian is hooking up with everyone’s favorite sailing tour guide, the talk isn’t going to be  _ negative. _ It’ll be more along the lines of  _ ‘When’s the wedding?’ _ and  _ ‘How do I get an invite?’ _ ” 

“How is it that you know more about Poe Dameron that I did? Why didn’t I know he was into sailing?”

Rey laughed. “I think “into” sailing might be a little bit of an understatement. How did I know? Because I’m not the one who’s been obsessively rebuilding the reputation of this library for the past four years.” At Finn’s drawn eyebrows, Rey continued, “That’s not a bad thing, Finn! We Santa Patricians are so grateful for what you’ve done! But maybe it’s time for a little break? For you?” Rey's face broke into her Cheshire grin. “Have you thought of going sailing?”

Finn rolled his eyes at her, but laughed. She gathered her stuff and waved goodbye, leaving Finn on his own for a few hours until one of his teenage volunteers came in the afternoon. He looked down at the stack of books he’d checked out for Poe and sighed. She was right. He’d been caught up in building the library… Had he even had a proper vacation in four years? There was always room for improvement, of course, but hadn’t he built up an amazing program? Didn’t he deserve a little time for indulgence? Time to spend with Poe Dameron and see if the spark he’d felt in the hospital room was enough to light a flame?

When the library had closed, Finn changed into his bike gear -  _ okay,  _ he thought to himself, _ I  _ could  _ probably have stayed in my slacks if I wanted to, but wasn’t there something nice about the appreciative look Poe had given me? _ \- and tried to distribute the weight of the books evenly among his riding bags. 

There was a second car parked in front of Poe’s house, and while Finn parked the bike and grabbed the bags, a larger man with a dark brown beard stepped out of the house. “Hey, can I help you?”

Finn held up the books. “I was hoping to drop these off for Poe, give him something to do in recovery.”

The man met Finn in the garden and held out his hand. “Snap Wexley. Old friend of Poe’s.” He nodded down at the books as they shook hands. “You must be the librarian.”

“Yeah, hi. Finn.”

“I think my little sister is one of your volunteers. Caroline?” Snap started walking back to the cottage, and Finn followed.  _ I guess I passed Snap’s test _ , Finn mused.

“Oh, yes, Caroline Wexley, she’s the sweetest thing.”

“I’d love to claim that’s my influence but I’m pretty sure she’s sweet despite me.” He let out a heart laugh, and Finn chuckled along. “Hey sailor, you have a visitor,” Snap called as they walked inside. “Hey, Finn, nice to meet you, I need to take off. Poe, call me if you need anything, okay? Don’t hurt yourself pushing too hard.”

“Yeah, yeah,” came Poe’s pouty reply from the living room couch. Poe already looked bored with TV, but glanced over and perked up, then smiled shyly when he met eyes with Finn. “Hey.”

“Hey. I brought some books I thought you might like, given your checkout history. I thought you might be bored.”

Something in Poe’s eyes made Finn melt a bit. “ _ Thank you, _ ” Poe replied with sincerity.

Someone cleared their throat from the still open front door. The two men turned their heads to see a petite Latina woman with glossy brown waves and a well-made up face. “Hi, Rosa Lorenzo. Channel 2 news. Is one of you Poe Dameron?”

Poe sat a little straighter, then winced, putting a hand on his stomach. Finn furrowed his eyebrows and turned back to the woman, folding his arms as Poe replied, “Yes, I’m Poe Dameron.”

“Well, Mr. Dameron, we heard about your story. You see, my sister, Clara, works with John over at City Hall, whose wife is a nurse at the hospital, who worked the same shift as Sharon Bigby-”

“Ms. Lorenzo, Poe is trying to recover, and he needs rest, so-” Finn tried his patented Disappointed Librarian frown to get her to back off.

“Oh of course, of course. It’s just, I heard through the grapevine about your rescue, Mr. Dameron. And it would make the perfect fluff piece for the 10 o’clock tonight. I’m hoping to track down that librarian, too.”

Poe and Finn shared a glance. Poe shrugged, leaving the decision up to Finn. “Um, I’m the librarian,” Finn said.  


Rosa’s eyes lit up and she actually clasped her hands together. “Oh, you’re  _ visiting  _ him! Did you bring him those books?  This is perfect. Can I bring my camera in?”

Before anyone knew it, they were signing waivers and opening curtains to get the best light, and Finn was sitting in the chair next to the couch, Rosa peppering them with questions to get them comfortable.

“Okay, I’ll write a little intro piece later. I’ll piece together sound bites from this short interview, okay? Poe, why don’t you walk me through what happened.”

“Well, I don’t remember a lot. I wasn’t feeling well, and then at some point must have decided the floor was a better option than standing or sitting.”

“And Finn, that’s when you came and found him?”

“Well, the front door was open, and his cat-”

“BB,” Poe broke in.

“His cat, BB, led me to him. I called 911-”

Rosa pursed her lips. “What brought you over here in the first place?”

Finn glanced away, embarrassed. “Oh, well, um, I just had a bad feeling, when he didn’t return his book.”

Rosa’s eyes went wide for the camera. “Wow, talk about a full-service librarian.”

Finn wanted to bury his face in his hands. Instead, he somehow managed, “Well, I care a lot about the people of Santa Patricia,” with a glance at Poe, who smiled at him.

Rosa glanced between them. “I think that’s good. Go ahead and get that to editing, Jerry. Tell them I’ll be in as soon as I can for voiceover.” She shook their hands and smiled. “Have a good day, guys. Hope you feel better soon, Poe.”

Just like that, the chaos that had come with Rosa left, and Finn and Poe were alone again.

Poe was looking at him. “Hey.”

Finn smiled. “Hey. So I brought you those books, maybe I should go and let you recover…”

Poe’s hand reached out for Finn’s. “Just stay a bit? Keep me company? Maybe we can watch ourselves on the 10 o’clock.” Poe winced as he worked himself up to a seated position, leaving room on the end of the couch. He patted it and smiled shyly at Finn.

Finn moved positions. Their thighs were touching, but otherwise they were separate. “Can I get you anything? Have you had dinner? Do you need to take meds?”

Poe’s grin was rueful, and tired. “Look at you. You’re in my house and you’re looking to take care of me. I should be the one offering you drinks or food.”

Finn touched Poe’s knee tentatively. “I think you get a free pass on that for now.” 

Poe glanced over at the stack of books Finn brought. “Did any of your favorites sneak into that stack? Any recommendations on where I should start?”

“It just so happens that some of my favorites  _ are _ in that stack, because I heard you were trying to acquaint yourself with them.”

“I guess I got found out, huh?” Poe’s hand crept over Finn’s on his knee.

“I’m glad I found out,” Finn murmured. When Poe shyly looked away, Finn leaned forward to grab a book. “Here’s where I’d start. He’s similar to Donahue.”

Poe turned back, and Finn swore he actually batted his lashes at him. Maybe he was just fluttering them. Either way, Finn was melting. “Will you read it to me?”

“Yes,” Finn whispered. He opened the book, clearing his throat, and turned to the first page.

Eventually, Poe’s eyes began to droop, and his head dropped backwards suddenly, waking himself up. “I’m awake!” he said without sincerity, making Finn smile.

Finn lifted his arm up and around the back of the couch. “Here, lean on me. It’s fine.”

Poe hesitated for a second before snuggling into Finn’s side. Finn brought his arm down and wrapped it around Poe. 

“S’almost 10,” Poe murmured sleepily.

“Mkay, turn on the news.” 

Poe clicked the remote, and some rerun of a sitcom had them chuckling as they waited. Poe made it through the first news segment, and Finn made it through the weather, but after that commercial break, Finn’s head was lying on top of Poe’s, and they were both sound asleep.

“Now, a special report from Rosa Lorenzo, who brings us the story of a hero librarian from the small town of Santa Patricia. Rosa?”


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Poe makes good on his IOU.

Finn woke when Poe stirred, snuggling further into his side. He blinked blearily. On the TV, someone was screaming about the best retractable hose ever, and Finn reached down to the remote to click the TV off. In the sudden silence, Finn heard Poe’s steady breaths, and it struck him to be grateful for the small noise, considering the state he’d found Poe in days ago. He wished he could see Poe’s face, but the man was pressing it into Finn’s chest, and all Finn could see was the riot of curls. _Jesus_ , Finn thought. _I’m going to fall so hard for this one._

He eased an arm under Poe’s legs and grunted a little, lifting them both off of the couch. Poe stirred, and Finn could see his face was a grimace now. “Sorry, Poe,” he murmured, trying to be more mindful of Poe’s stitches.

The layout of the cottage was simple, and Finn found the bedroom quickly. He laid Poe down over the covers, then went back to the living room to find a blanket to throw over him. He stood for a moment, making sure that Poe was returning to his sleep, and BB padded up to him, meowing mournfully. With a last glance at Poe, who hadn’t stirred, he leaned down to let the cat smell his hand, then patted its head. The cat began walking back to the living area and Finn smiled, following. “You know, you’re pretty good at the whole ‘follow me’ thing, BB.”

BB led him to an empty dish, blinking up at him gravely. Finn grinned. “Yeah, hero cat, I guess you can have some kibble.” He began looking systematically through cupboards for the cat food, noting the contents of the cupboards in the back of his mind. “Aha.” He poured out a cup of dry food into the bowl, then changed out the water in the accompanying dish while BB dug in. Finn stood, at a loss, realizing now that it would probably be awkward to stay until morning, as much as he wanted to make sure Poe had everything he needed. But it would also be awkward to leave, right? He chewed his lip and settled on a note.

_Poe- Rest. Finish the books. And don’t hesitate to call if you need anything._

He chewed his lip again, looking over the note, before adding his signature and his number.  
\------------------------------  
All morning, people had been staring at him, but when he looked their way, they quickly averted their eyes. Finn had gone to the bathroom twice to check if he had put his clothing on inside out or had something on his face or in his teeth. Nothing. He was helping a summer college student research something for class when Rey dropped the stack of periodicals on his desk. He glanced her way. “Are you going to put those away?”

She smirked. “Take a look at the front page of the Star, Finn.”

The Santa Patricia Star was the only town newspaper. It had a tendency to aspire to be nothing more than a gossip rag most of the time, which was why Finn liked to stock other larger regional and state newspapers.

He pulled the Star to him, surprised to see his face, in a picture he recognized from the launch of the new computer bay last year, with the headline: “The Hero Our Town Deserves.” The article was basically a retelling of what he and Poe had told the reporter yesterday, with lengthy editorializing about Finn’s quote about caring about the citizens of Santa Patricia. “This is so embarrassing.”

“There’s more.” Rey reached across to flip the newspaper over, and there was a shot of Poe and Finn together, and Finn realized his look, combined with the quote, made it very clear that by “citizens of Santa Patricia” he’d meant he cared about Poe. Like, practically declared love for him on TV and now in the newspaper. “Oh God,” he moaned. “I have no chill, do I?”

“I think you’re cute together,” the college student he’d been helping put in, before turning away to hide her red cheeks.

Rey grinned widely at him. “You’re absolutely adorable together, more like. What’s the problem?”

Finn looked down at the picture of the two of them again. “I don’t know… just… you don’t think he’ll think it’s too fast, do you? We haven’t even been on a date.”

“Finn, dude, it’s okay.” Rey patted his shoulder. “Don’t overthink it.”

“But now there’s all this pressure…”

Rey leaned against the counter. “Can you give us a minute?” she asked the college student, who nodded and scurried away. “Do you like him?”

“Yes,” Finn said right away.

“Okay, good start. Why?”

Finn chewed on his lip. “He seems really sweet.” _And we just fit together._

“Then focus on that, and not,” Rey tapped the newspaper, “on this.”

Finn nodded resolutely, turning back to the computer to continue the research.

For the rest of the day, though, he got the stares. And when he’d stopped by the grocery store on the way home from work, Margie had actually winked and called him ‘hero’ as she wrapped up his meat order.

When he got home, he noticed his phone had a text from a new number, which quickly identified himself as Poe.

Poe: Hoping this is the right number for Finn.  
Finn: This is Finn. Hi.  
Poe: So all day I’ve been wavering between three emotions: elation that I finally scored your number, embarrassment that I fell asleep on you, and disappointment that I apparently slept through you carrying me to bed.  
Finn: Technically I fell asleep on you too.

Finn smiled down at his phone.

Finn: For a bit, anyway.  
Poe: Thanks for taking care of me. Again.  
Finn: Don’t worry about it.  
Poe: I’m just adding it to my ledger.  
Finn: Seriously, it’s fine.  
Poe: Do you still have that IOU? I think I need to add to it.

Finn thought of the post it he’d stuck on his mirror at home.

Finn: It’s already a pretty big promise, what else are you going to add?  
Poe: Let’s see, it’s already got dinner and hand-holding and kissing, right? I mean, not that you have to take me up on any of that, but I’m just saying, it’s on the table.  
Finn: How do you even remember that? You were high.  
Poe: Mind like a steel trap.

Finn burst out into laughter.

Poe: So what could I sweeten the deal with? Hmmm.  
Finn: The deal is pretty sweet already.  
Poe: I think it could be sweeter.  
Finn: Why don’t you think on it for a bit and get back to me.  
Poe: Hmm, okay. How was your day, hero?  
Finn: So you saw the newspaper, then.  
Poe: Yeah, Snap brought it to me, then proceeded to razz me about it for an hour.  
Finn: No!  
Poe: Yup. :(  
Finn: You poor thing.  
Poe: Is that sarcasm? I sense sarcasm.  
Finn: That’s sarcasm.  
Finn: So it didn’t freak you out, then?  
Poe: What?

Finn sighed. Of course this wouldn’t be easy.

Finn: The picture of us. Of me. Looking at you.  
Poe: Our first photo. I’m having it framed.  
Poe: Hey, don’t worry about it, okay?  
Poe: You’re worrying about it, aren’t you.  
Finn: You’re not scared I’m moving too fast?

  
Finn nearly dropped his phone when it started ringing, then slid his thumb across to answer. “Hi, Poe.”

“Hey. Are _you_ scared you’re moving too fast?”

Finn let the silence drag on for a bit. “A little,” he admitted quietly.

Poe let out a sigh. “I can see how it could feel like that from your perspective.”

“And from your perspective?”

“From my perspective, the guy I’ve been crushing on for more than a year finally noticed me. If I could get up and dance without tearing my stitches, believe me, I’d be doing it.”

Finn smiled at the thought of Poe dancing around his living room. “More than a year? Really?”

“Really.”

“I’m sorry I was so oblivious.”

He heard Poe’s chuckle through the receiver. “Finn, you have nothing to apologize for. I should have said something. That’s the thing about crushes, right? It’s so damn scary.”

“You don’t seem so scared now.”

“Finn, if I’d been any later to the hospital, my appendix would have ruptured and I would have gotten some scary sounding -itis and died. You literally saved my life. Suddenly I’m not so scared to talk to you anymore. You’ve seen me at my worst.”

Finn wanted to reach out and touch him, hold him like he did last night. His fingers twitched at the thought. And that was it - acknowledging that desire calmed something inside him. He wanted this. He wanted to explore this. He wanted Poe.

Finn relaxed into his chair. “I guess I have. So when are you taking me out to dinner?”  
\--------------------------  
Finn was doing his final walkthrough, making sure no one was still in the library, when he turned a corner and found Poe, sitting on a blanket he’d spread out on the carpet, arranging food items. He grinned at Finn when he glanced up. “Hey.”

Finn laughed lightly at the nonchalant greeting. “Uh, hi. How did-”

“I paid Andrew to distract you and snuck in to set up.”

A grin was playing at Finn’s lips. “I should be yelling at you for having food in the library.”

Poe’s eyes were mischievous. “What sounds more appealing? Yelling, or eating? I need to start paying out my debt, you know.”

The grin broke out on Finn’s face. “Let me go lock up.”

When he returned, Poe had opened a bottle of red wine, and he handed Finn a glass as Finn sat down. “A little birdy told me it’s your favorite.”

“Would that little birdy’s name be Rey?”

“I’ll take that secret to my grave. Here, try this.” Poe handed Finn a crostini, spread with tapenade, then continued handing him bits and pieces of food as they chatted, until Finn finally held up a hand.

“I can’t, no more, I’m stuffed.” He finished off his glass of wine, then laid down with a groan on the blanket. His brow furrowed when Poe appeared above him. “Are your stitches okay?”

“All gone, actually.” Poe patted his stomach lightly. “Doctor hasn’t cleared me for strenuous activity, yet, but I’m done with bed rest.”

Finn reached up to trace along Poe’s jaw. “That’s great news.”

“Yeah, but I’m going crazy at my house. So I was wondering, do you have any use for a volunteer that can’t lift more than ten pounds?”

“I’m sorry, all of my volunteers are required to have their appendix.”

Poe placed a hand on Finn’s chest, idly drawing circles along his pec, and Finn shivered a bit. “Oh really. Well, then, I guess I’ll take my beautiful appendix-free body elsewhere. Does the library in Sherwood need a volunteer?”

Finn gasped. “You would not dare visit the Sherwood Library. They don’t even properly shelve books. They don’t even have a YA section! Their librarian is practically a heathen! He-” Finn was broken off by Poe’s mouth capturing his own mid-sentence, Poe’s tongue sweeping inside. Finn hummed and opened his mouth more, using his own tongue to taste Poe for the first time. He tasted of wine and spice, and Finn hooked his arm around Poe’s neck to pull him closer. Poe complied, pressing Finn into the ground with a pleasant pressure, melting into Finn. Finn lost track of time, kissing Poe. When the town’s bell tower rang the hour, Poe broke off. His eyes on Finn’s lips, he traced over them with one of his thumbs. “God, you’re breathtaking.” He leaned in for one more kiss, as if he couldn’t help himself, before sitting up.

Finn followed him, a little dazed, slowing picking up the pieces of their meal. He helped Poe stand, then gasped when Poe pulled him close, peppering kisses over his forehead, cheeks, and jaw. “Poe,” Finn murmured, lost, burying his face in Poe’s neck.

“Can I see you home safely? Your bike would fit in the back of my car.”

Finn laughed a little, inhaling Poe’s scent deeply. “It’s Santa Patricia, not Sacramento.”

“Indulge me?”

“Sure. Let me go grab my stuff.”

On their way to the car, Poe’s hand found his, and he smiled down at the joining. “Dinner, check, kisses, check, handholding, check.” He brought up Finn’s hand to brush a kiss across his knuckles before Finn had to pull away to unlock his bike.

“You sure you’re up for a lifetime of nights like this?” Finn said into the sound of crickets. “Maybe I should let you off the hook.”

All of a sudden, Finn found himself pressed against the cold steel of the car. “I’m sure. Are you?” Poe was nuzzling in his throat, nipping there, making Finn’s knees weak.

“I am.”


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> With this chapter the rating bumps up to Explicit.
> 
> Poe takes Finn sailing, which gets Finn all hot under the collar.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have never been sailing. I attempted research via google and asking some tumblr folks who have more experience than I do, but if I've made a glaring error somewhere please let me know! Keep in mind that this is from Finn's non-expert POV, so vocabulary (using ropes instead of lines, for instance) is sometimes purposely incorrect.

Finn was reshelving when the arms slipped around his waist. He tensed for one moment before Poe’s familiar scent washed over him, and he rubbed his hand over the ones Poe had clasped around his waist. He spared a quick glance - no one around, good - before leaning back into Poe’s embrace. If he’d learned one thing over the past few weeks, it was that Poe was surprisingly tactile, and Finn - fastidious, obsessed with order Finn - didn’t mind one bit. “Hey,” he murmured softly. 

Poe placed a kiss on his cheek before allowing Finn to slip out of the embrace. “Hey.” He reached for a book from Finn’s cart and checked the spine before turning to place it in its proper spot.

“How’d the appointment go?” 

Poe’s grin was immediate and huge. “Fantastically. She told me I’m a model patient.”

Finn muffled a burst of laughter in the quiet library stacks. “Your doctor should come talk to me. Or Snap.”

Poe laughed as he put another book away, then rolled the cart for Finn to another aisle. “Hey, you and Snap only had to physically restrain me from heading to the marina once.” Finn looked pointedly at him. “Okay, twice, but the second time was only because I wanted to feel your hands on me again.” Poe winked at Finn, and Finn rolled his eyes, smiling. “But, I have good news: I’ve been cleared for everything.”

“Everything?” Finn contemplated the meaning of the word  _ everything _ , then shifted when his pants got uncomfortable. He looked up, and realized Poe was studying him, a grin on his face that meant he knew  _ exactly _ what Finn was thinking about. Finn felt his cheeks go hot.

“Everything,” Poe confirmed with another wink. “Which means, for the first time in a month, I’m clear to go sailing on my own again. Or,” he continued, as he took one of Finn’s hands, “I was thinking that maybe I could convince a certain hot librarian to play hooky and come with me.”

Finn chewed his bottom lip, and Poe groaned. “You know, when you do that, it just makes me want to lean in and,” Poe said as he did just that, nipping at Finn’s bottom lip before deepening the move into a kiss, “worry that beautiful bottom lip of yours myself.”

Poe was happier, more playful than Finn had seen him in days. There was a latent energy vibrating through him, under the surface. Finn wanted, so badly, to see Poe in his natural environment. “I’ll have to make a call, see if I can get one of my volunteers to close up for me. Oof!” Finn was not proud of the surprised squeak he let out when Poe picked him up and swung him around, as much as the narrow library aisle would allow, but he was laughing by the time Poe put him down.

Iolo agreed immediately to lock up; he’d done it before when Finn had been out of town for a conference, so Finn knew he could trust the man. Still, it felt weird to walk out of the doors and into the sunshine with Poe, a little bit like he was skipping school. They stowed his bike in the back of the car and were soon on the road to the marina, windows down, Finn watching the breeze toss Poe’s hair around.

“I’ve never been out on the bay,” Finn confessed, mostly to see Poe’s shocked face.

Poe shook his head. “That, Mr. Finn, is a travesty. I practically grew up on the water.”

“Oh yeah?”

“It’s my mom’s business, actually. Or it was, before she died. She’s the one who taught me to sail, took me out every opportunity she could. I basically lived in her boat during the summer.”

They had parked, and were walking along the dock. “One sec,” Poe said, and stopped to talk to the marina manager. “Let the tourists know I’m back in business, okay Ralph?” 

“I got a list a folks that stopped by wanting a tour, you want?” The gruff man held out a piece of paper. 

“I want. Thanks, Ralph.” Poe grabbed the paper, then Finn’s hand, and led him down a row of boats. 

Finn eyed the paper. “You must be popular.”

“Best Yelp reviews for sailboat tours, not just in Santa Patricia, but the whole bay.” The pride in Poe’s voice was evident. “I recognize some of these names. I had to cancel everything Snap couldn’t take over for me, so I’m grateful some of these people decided to reschedule.”

Poe helped Finn into a beautiful white sailboat, with orange letters on the side that read “Shara Bey.” He made quick work of the ropes anchoring them to the dock, and hopped in before pushing off. “Now, I can run this thing solo, it’s pretty small, but sometimes my clients like to get more hands-on lessons. Would you like to learn how to sail?”

There was something comfortable in Poe’s face that Finn was seeing for the first time. Finn still saw the barely contained energy from before, but now Poe looked completely at home. Confident, Finn realized. The way he felt when he did his final walkthrough of the library every night. “I’d love to learn how to sail,” he answered, a little breathless.

Poe took him through the basics, throwing nautical terms left and right that had Finn both fascinated and overwhelmed. He’d always enjoyed learning new things, it was why he’d become a librarian after all, that love for discovering something new, and Poe was an enthusiastic teacher. By the time Poe was showing him how to control the sheets, Finn was pretty sure he’d fallen half in love with Poe all over again. 

Soon they were floating along at a steady clip, the wind helping to cool Finn from the sun’s reflection off of the water. They passed other boats, and waved, Poe sometimes having a radio conversation with the other skippers to let them know he was back. When they got a fair distance from the shore, deep in the blue of the bay, Finn helped Poe maneuver to put the boat into a drift.

Apparently satisfied with his latest check of the equipment, Poe joined Finn on one of the benches. He leaned back, letting the sun fall on his face, breathing the sea salt air in deeply. “Oh, I missed this,” he sighed, then let out a surprised ‘oof’ when Finn tackled him.

Finn had his hands tangled in Poe’s curls and was halfway on his lap before he knew what he was doing. He drew Poe’s head to his and crushed their mouths together, moaning into Poe’s lips. Poe’s hands reached down for Finn’s thighs, pulling him more fully onto his lap, guiding him into a straddle before squeezing along them appreciatively. Finn broke the kiss, chest heaving as he rested his forehead against Poe’s. 

“Not that I’m complaining,” Poe started, running a hand over Finn’s hair, “but, uh, what brought that on?”

Finn released a huff of breath on a laugh. “Something about you here in your natural environment stirs me up, apparently.”

Poe’s hand ran down Finn’s side before settling on his ass, massaging there lightly. “Is that like how I get turned on when you do your librarian frown at someone?”

“You do not.”

Poe laughed, brushing his lips across Finn’s again sweetly. “I do. Or when you’re sitting behind that desk, with that stiff posture. I just want to lay you out on that desk and pick you apart so thoroughly that the only thing on your mind is me.”

Finn groaned and rolled his hips. “Yeah, then, something like that. Because when I watch you handle the ropes for the sails-”

“Lines,” Poe corrected, a smile on his face.

“Right, handle the lines, and the pulley thing, block,” he corrected himself before Poe could, “I just want you to use those arms to pin me down.” He buried his face in Poe’s neck after giving this confession, and felt Poe’s chuckle on his cheek.

The next closest boat was hundreds of yards away, giving the illusion of privacy. But Finn had already witnessed how fast another boat could creep up on them. He pulled back, kissing Poe one last time. “Maybe we can cap off this day of playing hooky at your place,” he murmured as he moved off of Poe.

Needless to say, Poe made sure they made record time back to the dock.

\----------------------

By the time the sailboat was locked down tight for the evening, Finn and Poe had teased each other into a state of need Finn had never experienced before. When Poe held the car door open for Finn, it was so he could caress Finn’s ass as he got in. Finn retaliated by placing his hand on Poe’s upper thigh and squeezing after he’d buckled himself in. Poe laughed, then choked when Finn’s hand crept farther over. “If you want me to get us back to my place safely, you probably should keep your hands to yourself.”

Finn laughed, feeling more carefree than he had since… maybe ever. “Okay, fine.” He ran his hands down the planes of his own stomach before teasing himself and arching up into his own touch.

“Jesus,” Poe muttered, torn between keeping his eyes on the road and what was going on next to him. “Jesus, Finn, are all librarians this hot?”

“Hmm,” Finn hummed as he stroked himself lightly over his pants. “I don’t know. Are all sailors?”

“You’ve obviously never been to San Francisco for Fleet Week.”

"And you've never seen librarians out on the town, I bet," Finn laughed, then bit down on his lip when Poe’s hand reached over to cover one of his own. He realized with a start that they’d made it to Poe’s place in record time, that Poe was unbuckling their seatbelts and running his hands all over Finn’s body. The angle was all wrong, and Poe’s elbow accidentally hit the horn, making them pause and laugh. Then they were flying out of their seats, slamming their car doors, and making their way to Poe’s front door. 

Finn couldn’t ever remember being filled with such a combination of joy and need. Once they entered the house, Finn spun Poe against the front door and began working his t-shirt up his stomach with kisses. At the angry red scar, Finn brushed his lips over it lightly, grateful for the reminder of both how they’d met and that Poe was thankfully, blissfully still alive. He ran his nose through the sprinkling of brown hair before settling on one of Poe’s nipples and flicking his tongue over it. Poe groaned above him, grabbing the hem of his shirt from Finn and pulling it off himself. Finn laughed. “Impatient.”

“You can be as meticulous with me as your are with your books sometime else, baby.” Poe reversed their positions and began to unbutton Finn’s shirt, groaning with delight when he got it open to reveal Finn’s chest. Poe molded his hands over Finn’s pecs. “Who knew the librarian had this hiding under all of that?”

“You’ve seen me in my bicycle gear before,” Finn pointed out on a moan as Poe pinched at his nipples.

“I was obviously too distracted by the bottom half.” As if he’d just remembered how much he enjoyed Finn’s bottom half, Poe’s hands slid down to squeeze into Finn’s ass.  He captured Finn’s mouth, grinding their cocks together to mirror the motion. 

Finn broke the kiss off. “Bedroom. Now.”

Poe grinned. “Agreed.”

They somehow made it to the bed despite stopping every few feet to divest each other of another piece of clothing and kiss each other senseless. By the time they collapsed on the bed, they were a giggling, quaking, hard mess of limbs. Finn couldn’t get enough of Poe’s skin, of the sea salt he could taste there. Poe couldn’t get enough of Finn, period. He was sucking bruises under Finn’s ear while Finn lapped over Poe’s pulse point. 

Poe groaned, thrusting, sliding their cocks over each other, and Finn reached down to guide them closer together. Poe bit at Finn’s neck. “Fuck, that feels so good, you feel so good,” he huffed out. He snaked his hand in between them to help Finn slide over their combined cocks. Finn moaned and thrust up, the rhythm natural but making them breathless.

Poe took Finn’s mouth, then broke off to lean his forehead against Finn’s as their eyes locked. Below, everything was movement and sensation and bliss, but above, it felt like the world had slowed, like the only thing that mattered was their simultaneous shuddering breaths, the universe Finn could see in Poe’s eyes. He wanted to squeeze his eyes shut against the onslaught of feeling, but couldn’t break away. He saw the moment Poe’s orgasm hit before he felt Poe’s come erupt over their fists, the warm slick feeling on his own cock setting Finn off. He saw Poe’s pupils expand until practically all he could see was black. He saw Poe go blind, just as he went blind, before Poe collapsed to his side, breaking the contact. He chased Poe anyway, not wanting to lose the connection, ignoring the mess on their stomachs for the moment as he turned to gather Poe in close, listening to their breaths steady out. 

Poe was stroking his slick back, and Finn had found a lovely salty place to nibble on Poe’s neck, and he was pretty sure he never wanted to leave this bed again. He felt Poe’s hand creeping, seeking something, until it found his hand and their fingers intertwined between them. Finn let out a shuddery laugh. “Can we add that to the IOU?”

Poe snorted. “Sure thing, buddy.”


	5. Epilogue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I've wracked and wracked my brain for more ideas in this au, but I think I have to call it done. So, a tiny little epilogue for these cuties.

Finn was working his way through the stack of books, a little annoyed that Rey hadn’t been able to get through this job while she’d been here. Open the book, scan the code, put it on the book cart for redistribution, rinse, repeat. He huffed, thinking of the other things he could be doing right now. It wasn’t like Rey to shirk her job like this.

He got to the last book, noted it was one of the mysteries he’d introduced Poe to, opened the book and stopped. Inside, a piece of lined paper sat on top of the code. ‘Look up’ it read, in Poe’s careful handwriting.

Before he looked up over the counter, Finn noted that it had gotten very quiet in the lobby. He stood, slowly. No one was around, except Poe, who was kneeling in the middle of the library lobby with a little black box in his hand. “Poe…”

“Finn, I need to ask-”

“Wait.”

Poe’s eyes widened as Finn spun around, going back to his office, to grab his bike bag. When he got back to the lobby, Poe was looking distressed, but was still down on one knee. Finn winked at him, then dropped to a knee in front of Poe himself.

“Uh…” Poe started.

“Go ahead.” He winked again, for good measure.

Poe eyed him hesitantly. “Finn, I’ve kind of been planning this speech since the moment you literally saved my life. If I had my choice I’d just haul you off to the courthouse today, because I don’t want to spend another day without our lives legally bound together as much as our souls are already. I never thought my hot librarian fantasy would come true. Finn, will you marry me?” Finn held up a finger, and Poe chewed on his lip, frowning at first, then holding back a smile when Finn dug his own little black box out of his bike bag. He laughed when Finn held it up. “Did we really do this?”

Finn laughed. “Yeah, we really did. Okay, so, I  _ haven’t _ practiced this speech, but - Poe, I love you, and I pretty much can’t imagine life without you at this point. I mean, I don’t want to even try and imagine it- okay, maybe I should have practiced… Poe, will you marry me?”

Poe pulled Finn closer with an arm around his waist, crushing their lips together. “Technically neither of us answered yet,” he whispered when they broke apart again.

“On the count of three?” Finn murmured against Poe’s lips. “One, two, three.” His eyes met Poe’s.

“Yes.”

**Author's Note:**

> Come yell about stormpilot with me on tumblr! @animalasaysrauer


End file.
